Premier League: Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock says Swansea are the best team he's seen this season

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock says Swansea are the best team he has seen this season and believes manager Garry Monk has taken them to another level.

Warnock was effusive in his praise of Saturday's opponents ahead of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

"Garry's a good lad. I always liked him as a player and he's fitted in like a glove," said Warnock.

"If anything I think he's taken them on. They're tougher. He's lifted them and they're on a higher planet. Swansea are probably the best team I've seen this year.

Garry's a good lad. I always liked him as a player and he's fitted in like a glove.

"I know it was only 2-1, but I thought they dominated Arsenal for long periods and down the spine they're as good as anyone in the division, with Ashley Williams, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wilfried Bony. It'll be a good test for us on Saturday."

Respect

And Warnock has told Monk, who climbed the divisions with Swansea as a player, to enjoy the good times as there are plenty of bad times in management.

"I look at him and you can see he's enjoying it," Warnock added. "He's got the respect of people like Ashley Williams, who he played with, the fans and the board.

"I'd imagine there's no better place. It won't always be like that. When you're enjoying a good period like Garry is, you've got to enjoy every minute of it."

Warnock praised his strikers for the display they put in during last week's 3-1 win over Liverpool but has called on Marouane Chamakh to deliver more consistently.

He is the best finisher in the club, but he showed at the weekend that he's got another dimension to give.

"The front four know I had been disappointed in them for three games before the Liverpool game," Warnock added.

"I asked them if they could perform again for us. Liverpool is exactly how I know they can play. When Chamakh plays well, we play well. Even Match of the Day were surprised how much ground Chamakh covered.

"It doesn't surprise anybody here, because he's an unsung hero, but he's got to play like that week-in, week-out.

Consistency

"He can't just pick that one every four games. Hopefully he can find that level of consistency now and it will give us more of a chance to keep getting good results."

Dwight Gayle was on target against Liverpool and Warnock also wants him to kick on.

Warnock added: "He is the best finisher in the club, but he showed at the weekend that he's got another dimension to give. That's got to be the minimum requirement for a striker, to work your socks off, no matter how good you are.

"To see him chasing centre-halves down in the 92nd minute was fantastic."